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Great news for Apple iPhone owners: Apple has unveiled the MagSafe Battery Pack, a new external battery for the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini. It attaches and aligns itself to the back of the devices via magnets. It's currently available for pre-order through the Apple website.

The MagSafe Battery Pack has a Lightning connector, so it can be quickly charged with a Lightning to USB cable and a 20W USB power adapter. (Lower-wattage adapters will work, but more slowly.) After its initial charge, powering up an iPhone will automatically charge the battery pack too, so long as it's attached.

The charge status of the battery can be checked on the iPhone lock screen and through the iOS Batteries widget, which can be added to the home screen or Today view.

Functionally, the wireless battery works as if it were a part of a factory-original iPhone 12. There's no setup required -- it just snaps on and starts working. It may not be compatible with all iPhone cases, but Apple does guarantee the MagSafe Battery Pack is compatible with its own MagSafe line of iPhone 12 cases. (Apple notes the battery could cause cosmetic damage to leather phone cases.)

Don't expect to see the MagSafe Battery Pack in stores or at retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy -- at least, not yet. It's available for pre-order on the Apple website right now, and expected to ship sometime later in July.

Can't wait for a couple weeks for the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack -- or don't want to pay the Apple brand premium for it? The good news is that there are less expensive, third-party batteries by Mophie and others that similarly connect to the iPhone 12 to charge it wirelessly.

Introduced in June 2021, the Mophie Snap+ Juice Pack Mini is 5,000 mAh external battery pack that connects to phones via magnets. It provides up to 100% extra battery charge, and, like the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack, it charges automatically when attached to a smartphone. (It also charges via USB-C.) Best of all, this battery is compatible with Qi-enabled Android phones such as the Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S21 -- a magnetic snap adapter for these devices is included.

This 5,000 mAh battery doesn't carry a trusted brand name such as Apple or Mophie, but it does have a terrific price. It only supports 5W, 7.5W and 10W wireless charging, so, as Amazon reviewers note, it will refill your phone's battery at a comparatively slow rate. Normally $28, this four-star-rated battery is $24 after applying the coupon on Amazon.

First published on July 13, 2021 / 7:11 PM

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